Press Release: Cohesion policy 2007-2013: Austrian regions first to have programmes approved by the Commission

The Austrian regions became on 8 May 2007 the first in the European Union to start drawing benefits from the new Cohesion policy 2007-2013 as the European Commission approved the first group of regional operational programmes. The Commission decision on the eight Austrian operational programmes opens the way for Austrian regions to start implementing the new policy in the framework of the strategic plans and priorities agreed between Austria and the Commission on 4 April 2007. This first package of adopted operational programmes includes one "Convergence (Phasing Out)" programme for Burgenland and seven "Regional competitiveness and employment" programmes for Carinthia, Lower and Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Austria submitted the first official versions of its operational programmes electronically to the Commission on 30 October 2006.